Josh Addo-Carr has opted out of Canterbury’s final against Manly as he continues to fight to clear his name after testing negative for drugs.
Football star Addo-Carr has withdrawn from the Bulldogs’ final against Manly after reportedly testing positive for drugs during a roadside check last weekend.
Officers stopped the Bulldogs star at around 10.45pm on Friday night as he was driving in Wentworth Point, a suburb in Sydney’s west.
Addo-Carr reportedly tested positive for cocaine, but the 29-year-old has not been charged.
The alleged positive result came after an initial ‘scrape’ test.
Officers then took another sample from him to send to the lab for more detailed testing, but they were unable to follow the usual procedure and perform a second “scrape test” because they had been called to a report of a home invasion.
The 29-year-old player has told the club management that he is convinced that he did not use cocaine in the run-up to last week’s test. He can therefore not explain the first alleged positive result.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that he requested that the results of the second test be expedited in an effort to prove his innocence as quickly as possible.
That turned out not to be the case. The second test would have yielded a positive result.
He has accepted a three-month driving ban and a $682 fine rather than take the matter to court and is expected to face punishment from the NRL and his club.
“First of all I would like to apologise to my team and our fans for all the headlines and discussions surrounding me and the club,” he told the SMH.
‘I know I have done nothing wrong and that my name will eventually be cleared.
“It’s frustrating that the club is dealing with this situation and I feel terrible about it. I want it to be known that I have not taken drugs and I look forward to clearing my name.
‘I want to thank everyone at the club, especially Gus [general manager Phil Gould], [chairman] Adam [Driussi] And [coach] Cameroon [Ciraldo].
‘Until my name is cleared, I will do what is best for the team. My full focus is on today [the elimination final against Manly] and my heart is with the boys.
‘I hope I get the chance next week to show what the club means to me.’
More to come.